Eduardo Raúl Costa

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Eduardo Raúl Costa (born 1961) is an Argentine politician and businessman. He served as a National Deputy for Santa Cruz from 2009 to 2017 and as a National Senator for Santa Cruz from 2017 to 2023. He is a member of the Radical Civic Union (UCR).

Early life and education:
Costa was born in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, in 1961. He studied at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, becoming a public accountant and a business administrator.

Business career:
Before politics, Costa ran retail and building-supply businesses across Patagonia, notably as part of the Hipertehuelche chain.

Political career:
Costa first ran for governor of Santa Cruz in 2007 with an UCR–Civic Coalition alliance but lost to Daniel Peralta. He ran again in 2011 and was the main opposition candidate. He was elected National Deputy in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, serving until 2017. In 2017 he won a seat in the Argentine Senate for Santa Cruz and served from December 2017 to December 2023.

Gubernatorial bids:
Costa led the opposition slate in the 2015 provincial governor election. Under the Ley de Lemas system then in force, Alicia Kirchner was elected governor despite Costa’s sub-list obtaining the largest individual vote. He also ran in 2019, but Kirchner won re-election.

Wealth:
Costa has frequently been described as one of the wealthiest members of the Argentine Congress, based on public financial disclosures.

Personal life:
He was in a long-term relationship with Mariana Zuvic; they separated in 2019.

Electoral system note:
Santa Cruz used the Ley de Lemas for provincial offices until 2024, a system that grouped sub-lists under a larger party label. It was repealed in 2024.